Self-oiling bearing.



No. 766,244. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904. F. HACHMANN.

SELF OILING BEARING.

APPLICATION rmm 0015, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

NITED STATES Patented August 2 1904* PATENT OFFICE,

FREDERICK HACHMANN, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF THIRTY I THIRTY-SECONDS TO FRANK LLGAZZOLO, JOHN R. PATTY, THOMAS L.

BILLINGSLEY, STUART B. SHOTIVELL, OTTO MULLER, AND CHARLES BRENCK, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

SELF-OILING BEARING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,244, dated August 2, 1904:.

Application filed October 5, 1903. Serial No. 175,743. (No model.)

To (47/ who/rt it may concern:

Be it known thatI, FREDERICK Haounaxx, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Oiling Bearings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention relates to self-oiling bearings, and has for its especial object to provide an improved self oiling bearing or journal for electric trolleys.

To the above ends the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a view in side elevation showing the head end of a trolley-pole and a trolley mounted thereon in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line :0 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line ;1':z of Fig. 2, some parts being broken away; and Fig. 4C is a detail in bottom plan View showing the recessed bearing-spindle.

Like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

The numeral 1 indicates the trolley-pole, to the free end of which is secured a pronged head 2. Large cap-nuts 3 fit seats formed in 5 the sides or prongs of the head 2 with their sleeve portions projecting inward through the said prongs. The outer ends or heads of these cap-nuts 3 are .rounded and are advisably knurled to enable the said cap-nuts to be turned for a purpose which will presently appear.

A hollow bearing-spindle A, having an enlarged cylindrical portion 5, is held in position by the two cap-nuts 3, which cap-nuts have screw-threaded engagements with the ends of the same, as shown at 6, and normally close the said outer ends of the said spindle,

so that the cavity thereof will hold the lubri eating-oil. The enlarged portion 5 of the said spindle is of the same diameter as the sleeve portions of the cap-nuts 3, and the said parts closely abut, so as to form a continuous hearing for the trolley-sheave T. The trolleysheave 7 is provided with a removable bushing 8, which is secured thereto by a short screw threaded engagement 9 and is held against rotation with respect thereto by a key 10. The hub of this trolley is preferably of the same width as the enlarged portion 5 of the spindle 4, and hence is of less width than the distance between the sides or prongs of. the head 2, so that the said sheave is capable of a limited lateral movement with respect to the said head. The said sheave is yieldingly held in an intermediate position by a pair of retaining-springs 11, secured to the head 2, and having annular extremities that engage the sides of the hub of said sheave.

After the cap-nuts 3 have been screwed into working positions on the ends of the spindle they are held against rotation by keys 12, driven into alined key-seats formed in said cap-nuts and in the prongs of the said head. As already stated, the heads of the said cap nuts are rounded, and it should also be here noted that the prongs of the head 2 are beveled olf, so that their upper portions incline downward and outward, as best shown in Fig. 2. In view of this construction if the trolley should jump the line-wire the line-wire cannot find lodgment either on the prongs of the head 2 or on the heads of the cap-nuts 3, but, on the contrary, will be deflected out of line therewith.

In its lower portion the enlargement 5 of the spindle 4. is provided with a recess 13, which extends nearly but not quite from end to end thereof and opens from the interior or cavity of said spindle to the peripheral portion of the said enlargement 5. This cavity or recess 13 contains a cylindrical plug or oildistributor H, formed of porous absorbent material, such as felt, and around the same is wrapped a spiral spring 15, which holds the same in proper form and in proper position. The cnds of the said spring 15 are preferably fitted into small seats or depressions 16, formed in the end walls of the cavity 13, as best shown in Fig. t. By reference to Fig. 3 it will be noted that the cavity 13 opens into the oilcontaining cavity of the spindle 4 through a narrow slit 13, and it will also be noted that the spring 15 holds the absorbent distributer 14 in an elevated position, so that it closes the said slit l3" and is held slightly out of contact with the bearing-surface of the sheave-bushing 8. Hence it is evident that the oil contained within the cavity of the spindle at can escape therefrom only by the combined action of capillary attraction and gravity, the former causing the absorbent distributer to be satu rated with oil and the latter causing the oil to drip slowly from the said (listributer. Hence there will be no waste of oil; but the oil will be delivered to the journal in desired quantities. In some cases it may be found desirable to make the absorbent distributer 14E of such diameter that it will have continuous contact with the bearing-surface of the bushing 8.

The journal is absolutely dust-proof, and when once the cavity of the spindle 4 is-filled with oil it will keep the journal lubricated for a very long time. hen the bushing 8 becomes worn, it may be easily replaced by a new bushing, and when the bearing-surface -of the spindle 4- becomes worn a new spindle may be easily substituted therefor, thus making repairs possible at a very small cost.

It will of course be understood that the device described is capable of modification within the scope of my invention as herein set forth and claimed. It will also be understood that the journal is capable of general use wherever a self-oiling journal of this character may be found desirable.

That I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. The combination with a bifurcated trolley-head 2, of the cap-nuts 3, seated in the prongs thereof and held against rotation, a hollow spindle 4 seated in said cap-nuts and having screw-threaded engagement therewith, said spindle having an oil-feeding passage and an enlarged bearing portion 5, said bearing portion lying coincident with the sleeve portions of said cap-nuts, and a sheave mounted on said bearing portions 5 and adapted to move laterally onto the said sleeve portions of said cap-nuts, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the trolley-head 2, having the cap-nuts 3, seated in the prongs thereof and held against rotation by keys 12, of the hollow spindle t held by said cap-nuts and having screw-threaded engagement therewith, said spindle having the enlarged hearing portion 5 lying coincident with the sleeve portions of said cap-nuts, and further having a radial oil-feeding passage in its bearing portion 5, the sheave mounted to run on said hearing portions 5, and a body of absorbent material within said oil-passage, normally held close to but out of contact with the sleeve-engaging surface of said sheave, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK HACHMANN.

Witnesses:

E. H. KELIHER, FRANK D. lVIERCI-IANT. 

